For three directories, 1915 to 1935, the Cima name is listed here, starting with Pietro Cima, a confectioner; the directory marks it * in 1935 (some member of the family owns the property, to the best of the directory's knowledge). No other name on the 500 block of Keefer Street lasted as long. In 1940 the name section gives this address for Mark Zagar, retired (page 681; joined to the 1940 listing, where the first name or initials agree, inferred).
Reserve this house's book, freeIts history in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. Read for this address so far: 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945. The book reads the other 14 directories we hold. About $29 when orders open. The City Archives charges $25 a year searched, a house historian $300 to $550 or more.
Who lived here
Read every ten years. Each chapter is one surname at this address across the directories, so it can be more than one family; tap a name for its directory page, or follow the name to every address it's printed at. After 1945 the directories' names aren't shown. *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935).
- Not in the directory1905
- I1915–1935
- II1940
- III“Orientals”printed instead of names1945
- IVA householdnames after 1945 withheld1955
A ribbon marks the chapters the book adds to: everyone the directory's name section lists at this address that year, with their work, and the page behind every line. See what it holds, or quote this house.
- 1905
- built, by the City's record
- 20 yrs
- the Cima name, 1915 to 1935
- 2
- households named, 1915–1940
- Still standing
- today, by the City's records
The house
The City's record dates the house to 1905. After the Cima years, the 1940 directory lists M Zagar, the name marked *. By 1945 the Zagar name is gone, and the directory prints “Orientals” at this door instead.
Where the directory printed “Orientals”, its canvassers wrote a group label in place of the residents' names; we show what was printed, and the names it never recorded we can't give.
Also at this address in 1930, the name section lists Bert Cima, a logger; Cecil Cima, a driver at P Tosi & Co; Emma Cima, a helper at Canadian-Italian Macaroni Manufacturing; Fred Cima, a helper at Canadian-Italian Macaroni Manufacturing; and Guido Cima, a cleaner at Morrison Steel & Wire (page 132). They share the household's surname, but no first name or initial ties them to the listing here before or after: we can't tell if they are the same family, so we keep them apart.
Since 1955
- 2000–2024Licensed as a rooming house.
From City of Vancouver open data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver): the property tax report (BC Assessment's years, approximate for old buildings), business licences from 1997 (the kind of business only), issued building permits from 2017 and the heritage register.
Today
542 Keefer Street still has a building from before 1946, as does 546 next door; the City's record dates it to 1905, before the 1912 map was drawn, so it is very likely the wood-frame building Goad's 1912 map draws on the lot (inferred).
The neighbours
The 500 block of Keefer Street, door by door, the way the directory prints it. This house is marked in red; pick a year to read who lived at every door.
Keefer Street, the 500 blockas the 1905 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1915 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1925 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1935 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1940 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1945 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1955 directory lists it, door by door, and what stands there today
*: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935)
North side, odd numbers
South side, even numbers
- 510Tennant AndwYeoman JExcelsior Apts rooms*Excelsior Apt +1Excelsior Rooms & AptsExcelsior Roomsgone
- 514Chinese MissionGoldberg —vacantvacantGoldberg J (whse)Lions Gate Moving & Stge +1stands
- 518Kellberg EricMandleman J*Mandleman J*Babaval J*Babaval J*a household · rooms to letstands
- 522Rudd Hans“Chinese”Johnson ELundvall ELundvall Ea householdstands
- 524Bradley Edw“Chinese”Fong WWing Fong +3Chow Ha household · pedlar +2stands
- 526Wallings Morley Avacant“Orientals”not listednot listednot listedstands
- 532“Chinese”“Chinese”Glowsky SGlowsky SLum Fon*a householdstands
- 536Mohrman Oscar“Chinese”“Orientals”“Orientals”Jang Kee Shew*a householdrebuilt
- 542Cima PietroCima P*Cima P*Zagar M“Orientals”*a householdstands
- 546“Chinese”“Orientals”“Orientals”“Orientals”*a householdstands
- 548“Chinese”“Orientals” +1Sam H +1Sam H +1*a householdrebuilt
- 558Keefer Rooms +1Keefer Lodge +8Keefer Lodge rooms +1Keefer LodgeKeefer Lodge roomsa household +3rebuilt
- 560Ganter Cvacantnot listednot listednot listedgone
- 564a household +1rebuilt
- 568Lawrence Jennie“Chinese”“Orientals”Hong JSun Lok Moya householdrebuilt
- 1of 3
- 2of 2
- 1of 4
- 3of 5
The record
Each directory's listing for this address, as printed, with its page at the Vancouver Public Library. *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935).
Not in the directory this year.
No job on this line: the 1925 directory prints work in its name section, under Cima (near p. 175).
Wrigley-Henderson Amalgamated British Columbia Directory, p. 72
No job on this line: the 1935 directory prints work in its name section, under Cima (near p. 112).
No job on this line: the 1940 directory prints work in its name section, under Zagar (near p. 681).
- “Orientals” printed instead of names
The directory printed “Orientals” here instead of names.
- a household
One listing. Names of residents after 1945 aren't shown; businesses and buildings are.
Quote this house
One line with its source, for a listing, a talk or a family tree. A link to this page shows the card below wherever it's shared.
542 Keefer Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, is in the city directories from 1915 to 1955; the Cima name is listed there from 1915 to 1935. A building from before 1946 still stands there: the City's record gives 1905 as the year built.
Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/542-keefer, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.
The history of
Strathcona, 1915–1955
The book of 542 Keefer Street
What the book adds to this page
This page, free
- Who the street section lists here, 1915–1940, and the work the 1915 directory prints beside a name
- The neighbours door by door, one year at a time
- An archive photo of Keefer Street
- The lot on the 1912 fire insurance map
- The building today, and each year's page at the library
The book adds
- Each resident's work and employer, line by line from the directories' name section, and six people it lists here that the street section leaves out
- Its two named households as chapters, told in our words
- The 500 block in all seven directories at once, every door
- The page behind every line, both sections, listed at the back
- One book, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give
Its contents
- The house
- Plate I, Keefer Street in an archive photo1914
- ICima, with everyone the name section lists1915–1935
- Also at this address1930
- IIZagar, with everyone the name section lists1940
- III“Orientals”1945
- After 19451955
- The 500 block, decade by decade1905–1955
- Plate II, the 1912 fire insurance map1912
- The house today
- Sources, page by page
expected, a house
We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a house.
The City Archives search records for $25 a year searched: $150 for the 6 years this house is listed. A hired house historian charges $300 to $550 or more.
See what one holds: 620 Keefer Street, 2649 Quebec Street or 2339 Yew Street, each a house's book.
Sources
Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, 1905–1955, street sections, read by us line by line (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories); each year in the record links its page. Today's buildings: City of Vancouver Open Data (property tax report 2026, property addresses, Vancouver Heritage Register; Open Government Licence – Vancouver). The City's year built is BC Assessment's figure and can be approximate for old houses. Building permits: Heritage Vancouver Society's transcription of the City's permit registers, 1901–1930, gives none we can tie to 542 Keefer Street; its database may have one under another number. The photo of Keefer Street: City of Vancouver Archives, public domain, credited under it. Filed under this address at the City of Vancouver Archives: [542 Keefer Street], Mar. 1974 (CVA 1095-02507; photo, under copyright: view at the Archives). Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.